An international study involving University of Galway researchers has found that Satellite-based Earth observation provides a unique and powerful tool in tracking climate adaptation.
A team at the University of Galway’s Ryan Institute is helping to pioneer new methods of combining data recorded from space with artificial intelligence to measure actions that help communities, ecosystems and infrastructure adjust to current and future climate impacts in the global agrifood sector.
The science behind it allows assessments of even the most remote agricultural regions in the world, where ground measurements are sparse or too challenging.
The findings feature in a European Space Agency led study, published this week in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science to coincide with COP30.
The researchers mapped the potential for Earth observation in supporting different targets in the framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), a key action under the Paris Agreement from 2015, which aims to enhance resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate impacts.
Their analysis found that many of the most critical changes to climate, known as Essential Climate Variables, can be directly used to understand and support climate adaptation action.
Focusing on four key sectors – agriculture, biodiversity, extreme events and health – the study reveals how space-based data offers something no other monitoring system can provide: truly global coverage with objective and repeatable measurements spanning up to 60 years.
